Conveyer and separator-apron for mining machinery



(No Model.)

, W. A. MERRALLS. GONVEYER'AND SEPARATOR APRON FOR MINING MACHINERY. No.449,942.

-Patented Apr. '7, 1891.

I fizz/enta l.-

aa'es: 9.9 6:

. UNiTEn STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM A. MERRALLS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

CONVEYER AND SEPARATOR-APRON FOR MINING MACHINERY.

SEECIFICATION forming pait of Letters Patent No. 449,942, dated April'7, 1891.

Application filed February 7, 1890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. MERRALLS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oonveyer andSeparator Aprons for Mining Machinery and Similar Purposes; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is especially designed as an adgunct or attachment for theplacer-mineapparatus'for which Letters Patent No. 412,643, dated October8, 1889, were granted to me; but itwill be found useful for otherdescriptions of mining machinery, it being used as an endless-chain or atraveling grizzly and placed at the head of the sluice-box or as far tothe head as will permit, so that the coarse rocks, gravel, or bowlders,or anything larger than the openings in the slats of the apron will becarried off and dumped in the most convenient place, thus doing awaywith the men who are kept constantly jerking out these largersubstances.

The invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, andarrangements n an endlesschain apron or grizzly of mining machinery andin a novel combination and arrangement of the apron or grizzlycompr1s1ng,in combination, the novel parts hereinafter described, with aconcentrator and a water-distributing pipe above and between the ends ofthe apron or grizzly.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top View of my invention anda portion of the frame, screens, and lateral sluiceways, shafting, andgearing shown in my aforesaid Letters Patent. Fig. 2 is a transversesection in the line as x of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of thesupply end of the concentrating apparatus, the supply-gutter beingomitted in the view. Fig. 3 is a detail inverted plan View of an upperportion of the endless-chain or slatted-apron conveyer. Fig. 4 is an endelevation of a modified construction of the conveyer and separator,looking toward the supply end of the apparatus.

AAA in the drawings represent revolving Serial Ne. 339,542. ('No model.)

sluiceways; D, supporting-frame; G, shaft, and E gears, the sameoperating in a similar manner as in my aforesaid patent. Instead ofthese screens and sluiceways, any other suitable ordinary concentratormaybe adopted for receiving the partly-screened substances from myconveyer and separator and subjecting the same to the finishingconcentrating operation. The parts named, except the conveyer andseparator, are not specifically claimed under this application.

F is an endless-chain apron conveyor and separator; G, an inclinedreceiving, discharging, and directing chute arranged partly within theconveyer F; H, a Water-distributing pipe perforated with small holes andarranged about six inches above the apron-slats; H,

an inclined supply spout or gutter arranged above the top of thesluiceways, and I supporting and bearing standards of a suitableplatform or frame I, which frame is indicated by dotted lines.

The conveyer and separator-apron or grizzly may be arranged preferablyat right angles, or nearly so, to the screens A and sustained, as shown,by the standards I and frame I, and its chute G may be applied eithercentrally beneath the upper portion of theapron, as in Fig. 1,or to oneside of the'center thereof, as shown in Fig. 4. The slats a of the apronare firmly fastened to chain-links b, which are united by join t-pins cand form endless chains d, the rollers f of which'ride on ordinarysupporting-ledges (1 supported by the frame I, all in the ordinarymanner or as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, or they may be fastenedto ordinary endless chains (1', as in Fig. at. When the chains areformed of links, as in Figs. 2 and 3, rollers, asf, are applied oneachjoint-pin c, and supporting-ledges, as (1 and chain-driving wheelsg, with notches h in their peripheries for the reception of the rollersf, are provided for supporting and driving the chains; but when endlesschains, as (Z, are adopted sprocket-wheels g are employed. Theslats a ofthe apron are perforated, as at m, over the whole or nearlythe whole oftheir surfaces, the perforations being one-sixteenth of an inch indiameter or of greater or less size, as circumstances require, saidperforations extending entirely screens; A A A, semi-cylindricalconcaves beneath the screens; B B, spouts and lateral through theslats,so as to discharge substances through the apron upon the chute G,

and thereby enable said chute to conduct these substances into or upon ascreen A or other suitable screen or sieve of a concentrator. The apronF is driven or revolved by means of gears E and a shaft K or otherwisesuitably, and it may be revolved eitherto the right or left of theconcentrator by applying the gearing appropriately.

It Will be seen from the afore oing descrip tion that the placer-minegold-carrying substances, comprising gold, sand, dirt, and gravel, orbowlders and water, are flowed or deposited from the spout or gutter Hupon an intermediate portion of the apron F, as illustrated, and whilecarried along by the apron, subjected, if necessary, to the action of anadditional stream of water through perforated pipe H, they are agitatedand disintegrated, and such portions of the mixture as are capable ofpassing through the perforations m of the slats fall upon the chute Gand enter the first one of the screens A, wherein the gold is finallyconcentrated, and while this is going on the refuse, such as gravel andheavy bowlders and the like, passes along the top of the apron anddischarges at one or the other end thereof upon the dump, and as onequantity is separated another is taking its place and being treated inlike maner as at the start. By my invention the concentrator is savedfrom the injurious wear resulting from heavy bowlders and large massesof refuse matter passing longitudinally through the screens or oversieves during the concentrating operation, the labor of men jerking outlarge bowlders saved, and the operation is very effectively performed.In Fig.4 the apron is shown with an intermediate chain or sprocket wheelg and the chute is between this wheel and an end wheel. If desirable,another chute may be applied in space a? or, and the two branch chutesunite in one connectiontail or discharging-chute leading into theconcentrator.

It is sometimes necessary to use an apron or grizzly one or two hundredor a thousand feet in length, or to have one end of the apron onethousand feet above the first concentrator-screen, and in such case theproportions and arrangement of the parts will have to be changedaccordingly, and a greater number of chain-driving supporting-wheelsrunning onsuitable ledges d will have to be provided; but thedischarging chute or chutes, as G, will be applied partly within theapron, as described and shown.

The breaks at w w in the drawings are intended to indicate that theapron and chute from bowlders and rocks, and that said material isreceived from the sluice-box separated at the point where theconcentrator is located by the agitating motion of the grizzly orendless-chain slatted perforated apron and the action of a stream ofwater from a pipe above the apron and in close proximity to the discharging end of the supply pipe or gutter, which is at right angles tothe grizzly or apron, and that this separation is so effected that thegold or other precious metal and sand and small gravel descend throughthe apron or grizzly into a chute which is also at right angles to theapron or grizzly, and therefrom passed and discharged into theconcentrator, while the bowlders, rocks, or other large debris areconveyed along upon the, grizzly and dumped at the end of the same uponthe heap or into other receptacles beyond the end of the apron orgrizzly, and that during this operation such substances as cling to thebowlders or pieces of rock, and conse quently do notpass off at oncethrough the holes in the slats of the apron or grizzly, are subjected tothe forcible washing action of water from the distributing-pipe, andthereby separated from the same and compelled to pass through theopenings in the slats before the bowlders or rocks have passed beyondthe range of the receiving, discharging, and directing chute, whichconveys the partlyscreened substances into the concentrator.

\Vhat I claim is- 1-. In a mining-machine grizzly or apron, incombination, the transversely-arranged conveying and separating apron,the receiving,

discharging, and conducting chute supported within and extending fromthe inside of the apron a suitable distance, thelongitudinallyarrangedsupply pipe or gutter above the apron, the water-distributing pipelocated above the apron and chute and in close proximity to thesupplygutter and between the ends, of the apron, and. thelongitudinally-arranged.- concentrating screens or sieves adapt.- ed forreceiving the partly-separated substances from the said receiving andconducting chute at a point between the ends of the. apron,substantially as described.

2. In a grizzly or apron for conveying or separating goldand preciousmetals, from bowlders and rock in the passage of thesame from the mineor place of deposit to the concentrator, the combination of the endlesschain, perforated slatted conveyer and separator, a chute leading out ofit between, its ends, a longitudinally-arranged supply pipe or gutterabove the apron, and a water-distributing pipe H, arranged above andbe.- tween the ends of the grizzly or apron, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

IVILLIAH A. MERRALLS.

Witnesses:

RoLLINs BINGHAM, L. G. FARWELL.

IIS

